Guest Blog: Shanna

Welcome Shanna, From Team Autry! Shanna is a newly wed and mom to the very handsome Dillion. Shanna is exploring her love for the culinary arts while raising a 1 year old. All while living on a budget!

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Hello Ladies! My name is Shanna and I can be found over at Team Autry. I was really excited when Mrs. B asked me to me a guest blogger on Life with Sweet Cheeks. I met her quite some time ago on The Bump.

I’m a 20-something mama to a ONE year old and a self-proclaimed, full time working, domestic goddess to boot. Or so I would like to say. Oh, and I am about to begin Culinary school. That’s a lot going on.


So, today I will bring you on a cooking journey with me. I want to show you how simple it can be to prepare a delicious meal from start to finish without pulling out your hair.


Here are some key points that I am going to cover today.


 Look at the sales flier. My local grocery store (Winn-Dixie) puts out their weekly fliers on Wednesdays. I take 5 minutes to look it over, see what is on sale and plan accordingly.


Plan a menu. You can do this by the week or by every 2 weeks. I plan our menu for 2 weeks at a time. Give yourself a day or two for eating out. Be realistic.


Dust off your Crock pot.

Sales Fliers/Store Ads – I signed up for a rewards card through Winn-Dixie. Kroger and other grocery store chains offer rewards cards as well. With that rewards card I score TONS of deals such as BOGO, 10 for $10, and Locked-in Low Prices. I plan my menu according to what is on sale. Each shopping trip I usually save over $35!!

Plan a Menu – This may sound like a daunting task but, it has made our life so much easier. I write out 14 meals (2 weeks worth of dinners) and I set aside a few days for eating out. I have found that planning a menu and grocery shopping with a menu and list helps me focus on what we NEED and not want. This also saves the panicky feeling that comes with having NO clue what is for dinner at the end of the day.

Dust off your Crock pot – I am amazed at what my Crock pot could do! For the longest time I thought crock pots were only used for soups and potlucks. Not so much. I have used my beloved for ribs, chicken, pot roast, pork tenderloin..you name it. Use that Crock pot, ladies!! It’s my Ninja weapon.

I have found that these simple three steps have saved my sanity..and our wallet.

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